The Crucible: A Play in Four Acts by Arthur Miller - Research Paper Example

The Crucible/Arthur Miller: An Analysis Introduction The Crucible: A Play in Four Acts by Arthur Miller was first published by The Viking Press in 1953. In 1995, Penguin Books published another edition with an introduction by Christopher Bigsby. The book was written by Miller as an allegory to the state paranoia on communism in 1950s and the breakdown of social and individual relationships he coined as “breaking of charity” (Miller xv) where families and friends turned their back on each other. The book centers its story in Salem, a town plagued by witchcraft beliefs, betrayal, sexuality, and political anarchy with its main character, John Proctor, who struggled to redeem his family and integrity by standing for what he think was right even though it led to tragedy. The tragedy started when the main antagonist Abigail created a scene of revenge to Proctor’s wife for sending her out of their house when the wife discovered her indecent relationship with her husband. Elizabeth Proctor, the wife of John, was accused by Abigail as a witch along with other innocent characters who were accused by the group of Abigail. The court along with the ruling priest bended to Abigail’s stories and manipulated the unjust accusation and killings of a number of people without further investigating the case. The book The Crucible by Arthur Miller is not just a story that significantly reprises political tragedies in the 1950’s but a reminder as well of the earnest social pressure that corrupts the individuality of man. Part Two: Historical Background A short biography of Arthur Miller by Rachel Galvin revealed that the famous American playwright was born in October 17, 1915 in New York City. His family was Jewish immigrants from Hungary and built their lives in New York City with a clothing company owned by his father. The great depression though brought closure to the family business and prompted them to move to Brooklyn where Miller studied until high school. Poverty made Miller engaged in various jobs such as truck driver, clerk, and as a radio singer to support his education at the University of Michigan. According to Galvin, Miller started writing plays during his college years and landed his first job in the Federal Theater Project. His famous plays include All my Sons that garnered New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award, Death of a Salesman in 1949 that won Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award and, The Crucible that won Tony Award in 1953. Amidst critics both from the politics and his colleagues, Miller proved his exceptional writing talent by receiving various awards in his lifetime that includes the John F. Kennedy Lifetime Achievement Award, the Dorothy and Lillian Gish award, an Olivier award, and the Gold Medal for Drama by the U.S. National Institutes of Arts and Letters. The same biography by Galvin retold that Miller was married to three women namely Mary Grace Slaterry in 1940, Marilyn Monroe in 1956, and Inge Morath in 1962. Miller died in February 2005 and was survived by his daughter Rebecca. Part Three: Body Miller wrote accordingly to the socio-political and personal events during his lifetime. In the case of The Crucible, Miller thought that it is no longer possible to discuss the social issues openly because the people were torn by “trying to be honest, trying to see things straight and trying to be safe” (Miller xii) thus, he opted to convey his message using the arts. He used the seventeenth century language to connect his viewers back to history but artistically crafted it in words that made a connection to the current situation in the 1950s. The social relevance of Miller’s book was clearly illustrated because of his rigorous researches on the life of the people involved in the 1692 Salem trial. Thus, its readers and those who watched the play and the movie edition of The Crucible cannot help but grieved on the emotional assault in Salem as well as internalize the messages analogous to their current circumstances. The subjects in his book mirrored the real agonies during the 50s when people were forced in the White House ritual to name individuals involved in communism conspiracies in public to save their life, career, and family. In the book, the group of children led by Abigail was forced by the court to publicly name names of individuals in their community who they think are witches in order to save themselves from the sinister dancing act they did with the character Tituba in the forest. The book in itself particularly corresponds to Miller’s experiences. When he retuned from his research on the witchcraft trial in Salem, Miller heard on the news that his colleague Elia Kazan agreed to be a witness before the House of Un-American Activities Committee and offered names of colleagues and friends thought to be probable supporter of the communist movement. Miller’s other colleagues and friends did the same and yielded to the cajoling and demands of the Committee fearing for loss of career and feeling guilty for the gullibility of their commitments (Miller xii). According to Bradford in his article on “Themes of The Crucible”, Miller and his colleague including Elia Kazan attended a group that discussed the philosophy of communism which made the latter a target of the Committee. When John Proctor, the protagonist in the book was asked to give names of other people to save his life, he adamantly refused to tell names saying he cannot judge others and can only speak of his own doings (Miller xiii). This incident was related to Miller when he answered the way John Proctor did the time he was called by the Committee to name communist sympathizers he knew (Miller xiii). The character of Proctor and Miller in real life both possessed the conviction to preserve personal integrity and determination to uphold on what is true and factual. John Proctor was adamant to save his wife from corporal punishment by admitting his mistakes, Miller conversely was adamant to remind the Americans from the corruption of those in power by continuously pushing his writings in public despite rejection by his own friends. According to Bradford, Miller was blacklisted when he refused to give names and was found in contempt of court serving 30 days in prison in 1958. In contrast though to John Proctor whose fate was sent to the gallows, Miller was out of prison a month after when the court of appeals decided to reverse the conviction. Moreover, the character of Judge Danforth in the book was told by Bradford to be were like Senator McCarthy and his committee who accused people based on rumors and not by logical evidence with court proceedings. The paranoia on communism allegiance in 1950’s made people like Senator McCarthy use the rule of law as display of power, and to show to the political and territorial enemies that the government has absolute control over its people. However, the display of power has also subjected the people to social pressure, acting according to what was expected and not according to what was right. These people ended up losing not only their individualities and integrity but also those who have been friends and families in one phase of their lives. The characters of Abigail, Mercy, and Mary Warren were the personification of what Miller said as the breakdown of charity. Despite the accommodations of the Proctor couple to the three girls, the latter decided to betray and destroy the lives of the couple and the rest of the accused in order to retain the influence they had in the political arena. During the first publication of The Crucible, allegiance to the House of Un-American Activities Committee was rewarded with government support and security nets. Nonetheless, this allegiance was proven vicious when it broke down the trust and relationship of the government and the community. Part Four: Conclusion Ambitions and goals drive people to do things sometimes without thinking much on the costs to make it happen, the bigger the ambitions and goals, the greater the required sacrifices. The only thing that prevents sacrifices to become treacherous to other people is the individual’s grasp on his morality. When a man loses his sense of himself he loses his integrity, and when a man loses his integrity he loses as well his objective analysis to the things around him making corruption a valid approach to acquire his desires. As Miller said, there are times when what the world needed from falling apart is but just a man and his conscience (Miller xxi). Works Cited Bradford, Wade. “Themes of The Crucible.” About.com. The New York Times Company, 2011. Web. 8 Dec 2011. Galvin, Rachel. “Biography, Arthur Miller.” National Endowment Fund for the Humanities. 2011. Web. 7 Dec 2011. Miller, Arthur. The Crucible: A Play in Four Acts. Penguin Books: 1995. Print. Read More